$15,178

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CabinFever is one of only several dance companies selected to perform at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) as part of the museum's exhibition Common Time, which celebrates the life and work of Merce Cunningham. The exhibition will feature CabinFever's original production Respire, a collaboration between the MCA, the dancers and musicians of CabinFever, and electronic music improviser Stephan Moore, formerly Music Coordinator of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Nearly a decade ago,CabinFever Artistic Director Elana Jacobs interned at Merce Cunningham Dance Company in New York, shortly before Cunningham passed away. Jacobs considers him a major inspiration, apparent in her prominent integration of music, costumes, and photography into her work.

“Merce Cunningham (American, 1919–2009) was a seminal figure in modern dance, revolutionizing performance through his choreography and world-renowned dance company . . . The exhibition showcases Cunningham’s multidisciplinary projects, exploring, as Cunningham described, the 'underlying principle that music and dance and art could be separate entities independent and interdependent, sharing a common time'.”

"Research-based and architecture-engaged company CabinFever is comprised of half musicians, half dancers. Their process involves extended inquiry into the history of a building and its inhabitants to craft a work performed in that building. They are creating and premiering a site-specific work [Respire] in dialogue with the MCA’s current facility and its previous iterations.”

Photo by Jack Mitchell

CabinFever’s Next Big Step

For six years, CabinFever has distinguished itself through original, site-specific works that are inspired by and take place inside homes and historic mansions. We have worked with families to share their stories and we’ve brought together communities to investigate universal human experiences.

Our new production, Respire, is our boldest creative step yet. Presented inside the celebrated MCA, the performance will pose new and unique challenges for our talented roster of artists while broadcasting our company’s work to a wider audience.

Respire meditates on how our presence leaves immaterial debris that lingers on, shaping and informing the environment. As Jenny Holzer writes: “It can be startling to see someone breathe, let alone the breathing of a crowd. You usually don’t believe that people extend that far.”

In the divided social climate we inhabit, it is more essential than ever to consider how our actions influence our world and impact others. Through original music and dance circulating throughout the halls of the MCA, Respire aims to explore these timely themes.

Photo by Elana Jacobs

ThePerformance

Respire will consist of a 4-hour installation that sweeps through the balconies and gallery hall of the MCA on a cyclical loop throughout the day on Saturday, April 29th. The continuous movement of artists and audience through each iteration will resemble respiration. We plan to use the architecture of the choreography to inform the ways that the audience walks through the performance space itself, generating an experience as dynamic as the biological process of breathing.

The architect of the museum, Josef Paul Kleihues, believed that an essential purpose of any museum was to preserve memory. Similarly, CabinFever has sought to capture, present, and preserve stories and memories throughout its 6-year historyby using the ephemeral tools of music and dance in an approach reminiscent of Merce Cunningham's creative method.

During the show, collaborator Stephan Moore will collect the sounds generated by CabinFever musicians using a custom software system. He will then improvise with the re-processed sounds, exploring CabinFever’s aesthetic through his own creative reimagining. Performing with Stephan, who worked directly with Merce Cunningham, lends a spiritual component to this collaboration.

Photo by Joy Jacobs

Your Support Enables Our Work and Makes a Statement

We will assemble 14 extraordinary artists and performers from across the United States to create an impactful and moving performance that reaches new audiences while inspiring new ideas in the worlds of dance and music. In addition to their important creative work, our performers hold a variety of jobs which they willingly place on pause whenever CabinFever calls for a show, often for a small fee to cover basic expenses.

Your financial support will not only help cover travel and housing costs for our performers, but it will also help the company pay them standard artist fees so they can afford rent back home while working on Respire. By making a contribution, you will additionally expand our production capacity, positioning the company to integrate exceptional lighting design and the visionary talents of our costume designer Erik Andor.

Our total estimated expenses will likely exceed $14,000. The MCA will not charge the audience for tickets for Respire. From past performances and fundraisers, we have saved a reserve of about $7,500 for this production.

Also factored into the total expenses are Kickstarter's fee and our fiscal sponsor's fee, which enables your contribution to be tax-exempt. Additionally, we have factored in the cost of our awards and shipping costs.

In an era in which major arts funding is threatened with rollbacks and/or elimination, your support will reaffirm art’s important role in our society and provide a platform for our message.

We HAVE ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF DAYS TO RAISE $14,000

Press the green button on the right that says "Back This Project," pledge an amount, and help us make Respire a reality.

If you do not wish to receive a gift, you can help us save on expenses by foregoing the perks when you pledge an amount.

Photo by Caitlin Townsend

CabinFever is a nonprofit corporation. Because your contribution will be processed for CabinFever through our tax-exempt fiscal sponsor Shunpike, you will receive a tax deduction for your generosity to the full extent permitted by law. When you see your credit card charge, you may see "Shunpike, " but be assured that Shunpike merely holds the funds on behalf of CabinFever. We are pleased to incur the added expense of Shunpike’s fees so you can receive this tax benefit.

Here's the big catch - if we don't reach our goal of $14,000 by the deadline, we don't receive ANYTHING from Kickstarter and all the money is refunded back to you. This means the scope of production for Respire will be significantly rolled back, as well as the impact it makes.

Please SPREAD the word to your friends, family and fellow supporters of the Arts. Share it –-- Tweet it --- Email it -- Gram it -- Snap it

Thank you so much in advance for WATCHING, READING and for SHARING this. Your financial support means the world to everyone in the CabinFever family. Thank you.

Risks and challenges

Risks of Performance
CabinFever is already booked on the MCA Calendar for our performance of “Respire on Common Time” on April 29, 2017 at the MCA. We are confident that, with your financial assistance at the minimum Kickstarter target level, we can achieve the vision of this work.

Risks of Incentive Awards:
We will be ordering the coffee cups, apparel and posters after we determine the count of how many people want them, so it is possible that deliveries could take extra time if anything goes wrong on the manufacturing side or the orders gets back logged. We will try our very best to get all the gifts out in the timeline noted, but depending on the number of supporters, we hope you will understand if they may be delayed.

The other obstacle when it comes to delivering the physical rewards to you is the post office. It is expensive to ship, so we want to ship all your goodies in one package rather than sending them as they come in. We would be pleased to ship any of these gifts overseas, but it is expensive, so you will need to cover the shipping costs for overseas delivery.

We are counting on you to give us information about your accurate email address, shipment addresses etc. If we do not receive your accurate and timely information or cannot reach you, we cannot promptly send out what you paid for! We would SO appreciate it if you keep your information updated and check your messages readily.

That's it! Not many risks at all. We are so excited to connect and do this with you! If we run into setbacks with timing, we will try to keep you informed of an updated estimated time frame.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $75 or more
About $75

Seafoam CabinFever Dance Tank

This fun tank top is for dancing around in your own living room, wearing to the gym, or looking cool in your local coffee shop. Anyone who's anyone will be wearing these. We will give you a shout out on our social media pages if you donate this much! Available in S, M, and L sizes.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

True FeverHead

You will receive the Marble Cassette tape, CF tote, one shirt of your choosing (baseball shirt OR seafoam dance tank), a thank you in our MCA program, AND an Instagram dance or song created for you and dedicated to you from a CabinFever company member.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $360 or more
About $360

True FeverHead + VIP Performance Pass

You will receive the Marble Cassette tape, CF tote, both shirts (baseball shirt AND seafoam dance tank), a thank you in our MCA program, an Instagram dance or song created for you and dedicated to you from a CabinFever company member, and a "thank you" in our MCA program.

You will also be receive a VIP performance pass to the MCA show. This will provide a complimentary ticket to the show/museum plus a photo with the cast.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

VIP Status & Exclusive Print

A framed print of an exclusive (only 25 prints total) Joy Jacobs photograph. This will be a snapshot of a memorable moment from the MCA performance.

Along with the print, you will also receive the following gifts; The Marble Cassette Tape, The mug, the tote, and both shirts (baseball shirt and seafoam dance tank).

You will also receive a "thank you" in the program of Respire at the MCA. And a VIP performance pass to the MCA show. This pass provides a complimentary ticket to the show/museum plus a photo with the cast.

Lastly, CabinFever will send you a thank you card signed by the entire cast.